Māori Marginalised By Changes To Pae Ora Act

Scoop

11 hours ago

The Government's Cabinet-approved amendments to the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act represent yet another attack on Māori aspirations for equitable health outcomes and self-determination the PSA says.
The sweeping changes announced by Minister of Health Simeon Brown on 14 Pipiri (June) 2025 are regressive and undermine the intent and spirit of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the hard-fought recognition of Māori leadership in health delivery, Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi - the Public Service Association Kaihautū Māori, Janice Panoho, says.
"The Pae Ora Act was a step towards correcting decades of inequity and systemic failure in health. These amendments strip away the very mechanisms Māori advocated for and were promised, particularly the ability to shape local service design and delivery through Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards IMPBs)," says Panoho.
"This is a heartless government, pushing through draconian policy under the guise of efficiency. What they call 'streamlining' is in fact the deliberate sidelining of Māori voices from decisions about Māori health.
"Rather than enhancing Te Tiriti partnerships, the changes weaken Māori influence by making iwi-Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBS) mere advisors to the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee, removing their direct role in shaping services that affect their own communities.
"This top-down, centralised approach reverts us to the very system that failed Māori for generations.
"By repealing the Health Charter and diluting the role of IMPBs, this government is erasing the commitments to equity, kaupapa Māori, and the lived realities of whānau. It is deeply concerning," Panoho said.
"We are not just stakeholders. We are tangata whenua. Health equity cannot be achieved if Māori are shut out of the rooms where decisions are made. These changes are a betrayal.
Panoho says the PSA stands with Māori communities, health workers and iwi organisations in calling for the government to halt these amendments, engage in genuine consultation with Māori, and honour the promises made through Pae Ora and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
"The Government's emphasis on targets, infrastructure, and performance data ignores what Māori have said for decades, that meaningful, lasting health outcomes come from whānau-centred services designed with us, not for us.
"The health system can't deliver for Māori while continuing to marginalise us.
The PSA urges all political leaders, health professionals, and communities to scrutinise these changes and hold the Government accountable for actions that risk entrenching inequities even further.
"He tangata akona ki te whare, tūnga ki te marae, tau ana. One who is trained at home will stand with confidence in the world. Let Māori solutions stand strong within our health system, not be cast aside once again."